title: Maize flour fortification in Africa: markets, feasibility, coverage, and costs.
abstract: The economic feasibility of maize flour and maize meal fortification in Kenya, Uganda, and Zambia is assessed using information about the maize milling industry, households' purchases and consumption levels of maize flour, and the incremental cost and estimated price impacts of fortification. Premix costs comprise the overwhelming share of incremental fortification costs and vary by 50% in Kenya and by more than 100% across the three countries. The estimated incremental cost of maize flour fortification per metric ton varies from $3.19 in Zambia to $4.41 in Uganda. Assuming all incremental costs are passed onto the consumer, fortification in Zambia would result in at most a 0.9% increase in the price of maize flour, and would increase annual outlays of the average maize flour-consuming household by 0.2%. The increases for Kenyans and Ugandans would be even less. Although the coverage of maize flour fortification is not likely to be as high as some advocates have predicted, fortification is economically feasible, and would reduce deficiencies of multiple micronutrients, which are significant public health problems in each of these countries.
authors.affiliation: Poverty, Health, and Nutrition Division, International Food Policy Research Institute, Washington, District of Columbia.
authors.forename: John L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Fiedler
authors.forename: Ronald
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Afidra
authors.forename: Gladys
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Mugambi
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Tehinse
authors.forename: Gladys
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kabaghe
authors.forename: Rodah
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Zulu
authors.forename: Keith
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Lividini
authors.forename: Marc-Francois
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Smitz
authors.forename: Vincent
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Jallier
authors.forename: Christophe
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Guyondet
authors.forename: Odilia
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Bermudez
mesh_terms: D000349:Africa / Q000208:ethnology; D003365:Costs and Cost Analysis / Q000191:economics; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005433:Flour / Q000191:economics*; D005527:Food, Fortified / Q000191:economics*; D006795:Household Products / Q000191:economics*; D006801:Humans; D007630:Kenya / Q000208:ethnology; D040541:Marketing / Q000191:economics* / Q000379:methods; D014454:Uganda / Q000208:ethnology; D015024:Zambia / Q000208:ethnology; D003313:Zea mays / Q000191:economics*
keywords: cost; evidence-based policy; fortification; maize flour; maize meal